


Come Back to the Land

by ahthena



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, attempted suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:32:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahthena/pseuds/ahthena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Funny how much beauty there is in death // Where a man saves Merlin from his suicide attempt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Back to the Land

**Author's Note:**

> I woke up with this idea in my head so I decided take the shot and write it. 
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely people from the Warlock & the King network who helped beta this because God knows I need a beta for everything. I don't know who the specific people are because it's all anonymous on gdocs but thank you to those who helped <3

_I can’t do this anymore_ , Merlin thinks to himself as he climbs over the railing of the bridge. His feet grip the very edge, and his arms clutch at the barrier behind him. One small move until it all ends. He looks towards the horizon, and the sky is blue with just a hint of clouds, slowly fading into orange as the sun sets. F _unny how much beauty there is in death._

He’s tired - tired of waiting, of living through the centuries and watching the time pass, of watching those he loves die. Mostly, he’s just tired of life. There’s nothing left on this earth for him, so why stay?

Merlin’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t hear the tires screeching to a halt behind him, just as he’s about to jump.

“Don’t do it!” The man’s voice jolts Merlin out of his own head.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Merlin replies. _He doesn’t understand - no one does._

“Why should you?” He counters. “Why would you want to end your life, when there are so many things still to see? The world is full of beautiful things.”

“This world isn’t beautiful, it’s just an illusion.” Merlin whispered. “This world is torture - it makes you live through every painstaking moment, it forces you to watch as those you love die, it shoves your fears in your face and you have absolutely no way of stopping it.”

By now, a small crowd has gathered around the mysterious man attempting to commit suicide and the man trying to save his life.

“No, there’s nothing beautiful at all about this world,” Merlin finishes.

“Maybe – maybe you haven’t seen it all. You’re young, you have so much to live for, and so much more to see.” The man's attempts to reason with Merlin fail, and Merlin chuckles dryly. “And that’s where you’re wrong my friend. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you’ve seen all that there is to see. Nothing comes as a surprise – it’s all the same cycle, life and death. What hurts is having to live it through every decade, every century, every millennium. Trust me my friend; living over a thousand years is enough to see every single corner and detail of the world. And I want no part of it anymore.”

“Is that so?” the man asks.

“Come ask me that again when you’ve lived for over a thousand years,” Merlin says, uncaring that he revealed his age to the stranger behind him.  

“Oh but I have Merlin, I have. Maybe not in this world, but in Avalon.”

Merlin freezes when the man says his name. _Avalon? No, it can’t be._ Merlin whips his head around. _It is._

“Arthur?” Merlin murmurs, not wanting to believe his eyes.

“Merlin, it’s me.”

“But how? I should’ve known – I would’ve known when you came back.”

“You didn’t need me until now Merlin. _You’re_ Albion.”

Merlin closes his eyes. Arthur. _Arthur_. After all these years, Arthur was back in Merlin’s life. He takes a deep breath, trying to keep his tears at bay.

“Please Merlin, don’t do it.” Arthur begs. “Come back.”

“Okay,” he replies shakily, turning to fully face Arthur.

Arthur runs over to give Merlin a helping hand as he climbs over the railing.

The second Merlin’s feet touch the ground, he falls onto his knees, bringing Arthur with him. The tears break out, with no sign of stopping – not with Arthur right in front of him. He clings onto Arthur, holding onto anything he can get his hands on – first his arms, and then his back as he holds onto Arthur tightly, crying into his shoulder.

Arms embrace Merlin, holding on just as tightly. Arthur kisses the side of Merlin’s head before resting his head onto Merlin’s shoulder too. The weight of Arthur’s head on his shoulder feels grounding, and it begins to hit Merlin as the shock wears off. Arthur is alive. Arthur has finally returned. _I don’t have to wait anymore._

Merlin lifts his head from Arthur’s shoulder to peer at Arthur’s face through his tears.His thumb traces the side of Arthur’s face before touching his lips. Without a second thought, he kisses Arthur, hard, before letting go to bring their foreheads together.

“I missed you,” Merlin says, smiling.

Arthur steals a quick kiss before replying.

“I missed you too.”

It’s only now that they register the cheers from the audience that gathered when Arthur was trying to convince Merlin to step back onto the bridge.

“Even now, I’m still saving your ass.” Arthur says, grinning.

Merlin laughs. “Prat.”

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from the song stripped - shiny toy guns


End file.
